The poverty is a very complex on in itself. So combining it with the inefficiency of our public school system can be a challenging experience. In this regard, we propose to tackle this issue in its different aspects while acknowledging that the ultimate responsibility lies on the local community.

I) Public policy

A. On communities with endemic poverty

• Create Job training programs to capture the less educated population and start chipping at the vicious cycle of poverty
• Establish social services and reach out to the local population to take advantage of underutilized resources
• Subsidize food pantries and food banks to tackle food insecurity in at-risk communities.

B. On education system

• Tackle the disparities between schools in rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods
• Raise the floor of quality in the schools nationally in order to bridge the gap between high performing school and low performing schools.
• Moving toward a holistic educational system
• Increase public funding for schools in rural communities and oversee the operations for better efficiency in allocations.
• Provide adequate resources in order to incentivize qualified teachers to enter those communities

II) Inter-communal assistance

A. Assistance from the local community

• Community colleges can create the first bridge to alleviate the readiness gap (especially if free)
• Non-profit organizations and religious institutions can also provide first-hand assistance
• Raising awareness through advocacy campaigns for better school funding
• Internal sensitization campaigns about the value of education as a way to break the cycle

B. Assistance from Higher ed institutions

• Create mentorship and tutoring programs to connect local students with their future peers in college
• Rethink predatory practices and price gouging for tuition
• Establishing trust with the community and foster collaborative spirit
• Address the historical racial discrimination that led accrued disparities
• Actively participate in the daily concerns of the local population.

III) Longwood Students

Along with the aforementioned solutions, there are still some subtle efforts we, the student body at Longwood, can do to assist and participate in the advancement of our community. It is up to us to come up with the real applicable solutions to a very complex issue. Our project allowed us to only scratch the surface and it is imperative for all of us to help to the best of our ability. The core value of Longwood University is the promotion of citizen leadership. More than never, it is time to embody that ideal and help the Prince Edward Public Schools. I invite everyone who see to push their organizations and academic departments to consider donating, organizing food or book drives, and even why visiting the school to give the kids some inspirational role models. YOU ALL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!